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Sindhurakshak: Sixth body recovered

Mumbai, Aug 18 IBNS | 2 years ago

The rescue divers of the Indian Navy have recovered the sixth body, out of the 18 sailors feared killed, from the wreckage of INS Sindhurakshak submarine that sank after an explosion on Wednesday in Mumbai.

According to reports on Sunday, the sixth body was recovered on late Saturday night.

The body has been reportedly taken to the naval hospital, INHS Asvini, and will later be sent to JJ Hospital.

The Navy said the bodies were 'severely disfigured'.

For the identification of all the six bodies rescued so far, the Navy collected blood samples of 30-40 family members of the dead sailors for DNA sampling.

Even as the chances of finding any survivor within the submarine are unlikely, the Navy said it will continue its search operations.

"The state of these two bodies and conditions within the submarine leads to firm conclusion that finding any surviving personnel within the submarine is unlikely," the Navy had earlier said in a statement.

"The damage and destruction within the submarine around the control room area indicates that the feasibility of locating bodies of personnel in the forward part of the submarine is also very remote as the explosion and very high temperatures, which melted steel within, would have incinerated the bodies too," the statement had said.

"However, the navy will continue to search every inch of the submerged submarine till all bodies are either located or it can be stated with finality that no bodies remain to be found," it had said.

The Indian Navy on Friday released the names of 18 crewmen who were on board INS Sindhurakshak.

In a major setback to the Navy's ambitious modernization drive, the fully armed INS Sindhurakshak, returned by Russia earlier this year after a major refit at an estimated cost of USD 80 million, exploded in a Mumbai dock.